WHAT'S NEXTDeandre Williams leaves on May 22 for Ghana, Africa, where he will spend five weeks studying sustainability, development and the political economy. He will also visit Burkina Faso, where Faith Toran, of Erie, is a Peace Corps volunteer. He is working to raise $1,500 for the trip. To learn more or to donate, visit his Facebook page.

I was pleased to be offered an opportunity to travel abroad with Morehouse College for an alternative spring break to Haiti. Gaining entry into this program is very competitive. There were 60 applicants, including students from Spelman College, and only 18 spots. I felt honored to be selected as a participant.

My mission in going to Haiti was to be a resource. My desire was to share my knowledge, work ethic, experiences and training with those accompanying me on the trip. I also wanted to broaden my horizons.

Furthering my experiential education outside of an American context expanded my worldview on a number of topics, especially the one that is my passion: equal access to quality education for children. Additionally, my mission was to conduct research for Morehouse's 2014 Expo. This year's theme was "Global Education" and I presented research on poverty and how it contributes to educational failure. Our conclusions are based on comprehensive review of scholarly educational journal articles, my work with the United Negro College Fund on education reform, and my participation in an education-based community service initiative in Haiti.

It is unfortunate that, aside from its long-standing impoverished state, Haiti is best known for the earthquake that shook the land and its people in January 2010. Moreover, it is distressing to know the nation's poverty levels exceeded 80 percent following one of the most devastating natural disasters in the last decade. The earthquake and its aftermath further strained an already fragile education system that endured years of mismanagement, overcrowded and dilapidated facilities and a limited pool of qualified teachers.

After I arrived in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, my confidence in what we 18 students from Atlanta could offer an undeveloped society was altered. The capital of Haiti was unreal -- dusty and dirty.

While in Haiti, I learned that the education programs developed for Haitians after the earthquake not only teach, but also serve as an avenue to the food, housing, employment, health and transportation needs of the country.

A Haitian man stated: "How can we worry about education when we are trying to survive?" Communities plagued with poverty, stereotypes and lack of education need to be rebuilt -- both physically and socially -- in Haiti. Given the opportunity and resources, I believe these same communities could produce successful individuals who can, in turn, nurture the potential of its residents. We, as a people, can help lay the groundwork for the futures of these communities in Haiti and also here in America.

I also learned that for many Haitians, if not all, it's the little things that count. Haitians are rich in spirit, love and happiness. Where I saw disaster, they see hope. When I wanted to cry, they smiled. My American values overshadowed Haitian realities. In their reality, they were content and diligent and life was opulent. In my view, they were suffering.

As we did our volunteer service, however, I separated my American values to better understand my newfound environment and that of my new brothers and sisters in Haiti. The service we did spoke volumes. We planted trees, painted houses, moved rocks and so forth. We raised more than $1,000 to donate to an orphanage that housed more than 220 people. The money went to generators for the village people and the school that once lacked light and heat.

One of the most humbling experiences was discovering the children's passion to learn. While I was mingling in the village with children filled with exultant minds and good morale, I was troubled by the loose bamboo sticks that shelter their school/church and their classrooms that lack desks or blackboards. They have no textbooks; paper, pens and pencils did not exist. Their resources are so limited.

Many of the older students, ages 8 and up, must travel down Trou- Baguette -- a mountain that took us college students four hours to climb up and four hours to climb down. That's unbelievable, yet these children do it every day for a meager education.

At Morehouse College, I became socially aware of my roles and responsibilities in this pluralistic society we share as people. Haiti was a life lesson. It fueled my drive to continue fighting for social change and empowerment.

As a budding sociologist and equal education advocate, I accepted my calling in educating and mentoring. After Morehouse College, I will go on to earn a master's in guidance and counseling in the K-12 education system.

While working as a high school counselor, I plan to go back to school and earn another master's in advocacy, leadership and policy so I can begin to reshape education policies. I will truly commence my mission of serving and providing for the educational needs of our children -- our future -- across the world.

DEANDRE WILLIAMS, of Erie, a Morehouse College senior, began writing opinion pieces and music reviews for the Erie Times-News when he was in high school (deandrewilliams2014@gmail.com).

WHAT'S NEXTDeandre Williams leaves on May 22 for Ghana, Africa, where he will spend five weeks studying sustainability, development and the political economy. He will also visit Burkina Faso, where Faith Toran, of Erie, is a Peace Corps volunteer. He is working to raise $1,500 for the trip. To learn more or to donate, visit his Facebook page.